ZULU.749.ishmael
Ngaphandle kokubuya emculweni, uthi uzimisele ngokwenza izimanga…
indaba nguDOUG GORDON
I-GHETTO RUFF
ISIHLABANI somculo we-rap u-Ishmael Morabe ubuye ngezinkani kwezomculo, wabuyela enkampanini eyamakhela udumo lweProphets Of Da City neSkeem nokumanje usekhiphe i-albhamu yakhe yakamuva ethi Long Way Home, esanda kwethulwa e-Europe kwiMTV Base.
“Njengamanje sengizimisele ngokucula ngedwa,” kusho yena.
Ngesikhathi kuqoshwa i-video yakhe yakamuva ye-single ethi My People – u-Ish wathwetshulwa ngabakwaBONA egaxene nezimomondiya zabakhangisi uYvonne Phillips noKarabo Masedi.
“Abalandeli besimame babalulekile uma wakha abalandeli abasha abanabantu abaningi.”
Sekuphele iminyaka engu-14 aqala kwezomculo. Inkampani ezimele yomculo iGhetto Ruff yiyo eyaqala yathola u-Ishmael, kwathi emva kwalokho wayishiya ngo-2001 wayojoyina isitebela sika-Arthur i-999 esiyimbangi yayo. Njengamanje iGhetto Ruff isimbuyisile.
Bekunzima kule nsizwa eliqhamukisa esifundeni saseNorth West eyakhula ilalela iR&B yaseMelika yoDonny Hathaway noStevie Wonder okungabaculi ababesho phezulu eshibhini likamama wakhe.
Eseneminyaka engu-16 wayeziphilisa ngokudansa emakilabhini eGoli. Ngo-1991, waqashwa ngabeGhetto Ruff ukuba ajoyine iqembu labo le-rap iProphets Of Da City (PoC) ezodansa kulo.
Iqembu lePoC laduma umhlaba wonke ngomculo walo wokukhalaza sekuyiwa okhethweni lombuso wentando yeningi ngo-1994. Wayekhokhelwa kahle kakhulu kangangoba wathenga imoto wayifaka okokudlala umculo ngaphambi kokuba abe namalayisensi okushayela.
“Ngangiyithanda i-Beetle yami endala. Yayihlale ipakiwe ngaphandle komuzi wami ngoba ngangingakwazi ukuyishayela. Ngangihlala kuyona ngizidlalele umculo ngicabange ukuthi yini eyayizolandela,” kusho yena ehleka. Ukuqubuka komculo we-kwaito ngeminyaka yo-1990, kwaqubukisa abaningi ababengaziwa besuka ekuhluphekeni beya empilweni entofontofo ngesikhathi esifishane.
Ngesikhathi iPoC isemandla kakhulu ihambela amakhonsathi, u-Ishmael wasungula iqembu lomculo we-kwaito iSkeem eyathengisa amakhophi angu-100 000 ngengoma yayo ethi Waar Was Jy? Baphinde baba ngondaba-mlonyeni ngesikhathi beshisa amakontileka abo ngaphandle kwamahhovisi okuqopha enkampani yaseMelika iSony Music bekhalaza ngokunganeliseki ngemali.
Ngenkathi iSkeem singaqhamuki nengoma eyayizodlula eyokuqala, u-Ishmael waqala wazihlanganisela ama-albhamu lapho ayecula ngayedwana.
Umucu wakhe wokuqala ngehlobo lika-1997, wawumayelana nokuzidumisa ezikhathini zomculo we-kwaito - “There is no place/Like Joburg City.”
Wayehlale esemakilabhini eGoli ebheka okwenzekayo.
“Ngangifika lapha njalo ngezimpelasonto ngizodansa ngicule noJunior owaqhubeka wasiza ekubunjweni kweBoom Shaka.”
U-Ishmael wayezinakekela kakhulu izicathulo zakhe ayedansa ngazo ngoba wayehlupheka esakhula umndeni wakhe ungakwazi ukumthengela zona.
Ukhumbula ephuza amanzi ebhodweni lepapa likagogo wakhe njengesidlo sasebusuku ngesikhathi eseneminyaka engu-14.
“Ngangihlale ngilambile ngiphila ngokucela komakhelwane ngingenamahloni ngalokho - kwakuyindlela esasiphila ngayo sikhula. Kungakho ngazijabulela kakhulu izikhathi ezimnandi lapho sengiqala sengizenzela imali.”
Ukuvakashela e-Europe naseMelika nePoC kwaba yinto eyenzeka ngokushesha ngomculo we-pop. Babevulela izihlabani ezifana noJames Brown namaFugees.
Ingoma ka-Ishmael ethi Joburg City yakhombisa ukuthi angaphumelela ekuziculeleni yedwa nokwathi ngo-1999 wazibiza ngo-E’smile wawina kumaSA Music Awards kwiBest R&B album ngeMi House. Esecula yedwa wakleliswa noMandoza, Zola noKabelo kodwa amakhono akhe amenza wagqama.
Ingoma yakhe yokholo ethi Avulekile Amasango yadlala kwiYizo Yizo yokuqala yadayisa amakhophi angu-100 000.
Wathenga iMercedes Benz yokuqala ayeyipaka kwi-driveway yakhe esekwazi ukuyishayela.
“Leyo kuyohlale kuyimoto yami engiyikhonzile. Yayingeyintsha kuyi-E-class eyayi-pale gold ngombala neyayingenza ngizizwe ngiyinjinga lapho sengiyishayela umculo usho phezulu kwi-sunroof. Kwakuyiyona moto engangiyifisa - neyangenza ngasebenza ngokuzikhandla ngajaha izicelo zomsebenzi.”
Isicelo somsebenzi esikhulu saqhamuka kuphrojusa u-Arthur, owathatha u-E’smile kwiGhetto Ruff wamenzela ingoma eyashisa izikhotha ekudanseni ngo-2002, iRoba Letheka.
“Ngangizibona ngimi ndawonye enkampanini yami yakudala yokuqopha, ngakhoke kwaba kuhle ukusebenzisana no-Arthur ngaleso sikhathi,” kusho yena.
Kumanje usebuyele kwiGhetto Ruff njengoba eselindele ukwenza izimanga ngokusho koyisikhulu seRuff uLance Stehr.
“Ngamsayinisa eminyakeni engu-14 eyedlule ezodansa kwiPoC kodwa wakhombisa ikhono ekuculeni. Ngiyejabula njengoba esebuyile, sesizokwenza izimanga ndawonye.”[z]
U-Ish!
ubuye ngezinkani!
BONA ZULU – October 2005
Uthokozela impilo
KWESOBUNXELE: U-Ishmael uzimisele ngokwenza izimanga!
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PAPI MORAKE
U-Ish ubuye ngezinkani!
BONA ZULU – October 2005
KWESOBUNXELE: “Abalandeli besimame babalulekile,” kusho u-Ishmael, esimbona enoYvonne Phillips noKarabo Masedi.
